3 Bangladeshi tourists dead in Kashmir Dal Lake blaze

By Nusrat Sidiq

SRINAGAR, Jammu and Kashmir (AA) – Three tourists from Bangladesh lost their lives in a devastating fire that gutted five houseboats in Indian-administered Kashmir on Saturday, police said.

The police identified the deceased tourists as Anindaya Kowshal, Das Gupta, and Mohammad Moinud, who were staying in a houseboat in the famous Dal Lake of the capital city of Srinagar.

Eight other people staying in the houseboats were rescued and evacuated to safety, the police said in a statement late on Saturday.

According to locals the fire began in one of the houseboats early Saturday and engulfed other nearby houseboats. The cause of the massive fire that also gutted seven adjacent huts is being investigated.

The houseboats in Kashmir are mainly made of wood and are therefore vulnerable to fire incidents. In April this year, seven houseboats were gutted in Nageen Lake of the capital city.

These houseboats are a major attraction for tourists in the region.